The must-try classic desserts in Singapore

And there is no better way to experience the culinary diversity that the Lion City has to offer than through its range of traditional desserts. Savour the moment by sating your sweet tooth, as we bring you a sample of Singapore’s sweetest treats.

Haig Road Putu Piring

Tu tu kueh fans must not miss out on this. This Putu Piring is the Malay version of tu tu kueh, and is filled with gula melaka instead of shredded coconut or crushed peanuts.

Haig Road Putu Piring has been a hit among locals for many years, and continues to be so with its molten, sticky sweet gula melaka filling wrapped inside fragrant, ground rice flour. Be sure to eat them on the spot. They are best piping-hot, even if it means a burnt tongue.

Chendol

Chendol snuggles its way into the hearts of Singaporeans like an essential cup of morning kopi (coffee). Even though it is a common Southeast Asian dessert (also found in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia), the Singaporean version is one of the best. Chendol is composed of shaved ice drenched in syrupy palm sugar and creamy coconut milk, filled with squiggly, green rice flour jelly (or pandan mung bean flour jelly) and sweetened red adzuki beans. Topped with creamed corn, durian or grass jelly, you can customise this sweet treat to your personal liking.

Tau Huay

A much-beloved comfort food for many Singaporeans, tau huay is a soya beancurd dish that pairs silky-smooth texture with subtly sweet flavours. This dish is often served with you tiao (fried dough fritters), so we recommend requesting for less syrup if you happen to be counting calories.

Pulut Hitam

This dessert of Indonesian origin has all the typical Southeast Asian ingredients including coconut milk, pandan leaves and palm sugar. Black glutinous rice is painstakingly boiled until soft and creamy, then simmered with palm sugar and pandan leaves and served with swirls of coconut milk. Also a fixture of many dessert stalls in Singapore’s hawker centres, pulut hitam is both a filling snack and dessert of choice for many locals.

Tang Yuan

These sweet glutinous rice balls with peanut, red bean or black sesame stuffing are the best tummy warmers on a chilly, rainy day. Originating from China, they are usually eaten during the Winter Solstice Festival to signify family reunion and harmony. The Singaporean version, also known as ah balling to Teochew Singaporeans – is often cooked in sweet peanut soups, ginger-flavoured soups or versions flavoured with pandan and rock sugar.

Ice Kacang

Ice kacang is essentially the Asian equivalent of a snowcone, or perhaps, even a slurpee in a bowl. The king of desserts here is really a giant mound of ice, dripping in sweet, coloured syrup hides within it bounties of suchas red beans, sweet corn, grass jelly and, of course, the much sought after atap chee (the immature fruit of the nipa palm). More than just a dessert, ice kacang is also a communal experience given how hot our climate is. When we need to cool off, we head over to Lau Pa Sat’s dessert stall for a literal post-lunch chillout sesh.

Durian Pengat

The durian pengat is a stinky-fruit lover’s decadent delight, though non-durian lovers may also be converted if they only dare to give it a try. The dessert has its roots in Malay and Peranakan communities, where pengat refers to fruits or root vegetables cooked in a concoction of coconut milk and sugar. In the case of the durian pengat, the durian is cooked to a silky smooth mousse-like consistency, topped with extra durian for a double helping. Some innovative versions have it topped with butter croutons and dollops of palm sugar syrup, which only makes this well-loved dessert all the more flavorful.